


The Betrayal

by Suzannahpearce



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 06:45:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11754282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suzannahpearce/pseuds/Suzannahpearce
Summary: The Force Awakens raised several questions as to what had happened in the preceding 30 years, including what can have happened to separate Han and Princess Leia. I wrote this short story to depict one theory (although I have several) that may have put strain on this long suffering couple. I hope you enjoy it.





	The Betrayal

“The Senate Oversight Committee is ready for you, Leia.” Greer stood just inside the door to the Solo's expansive main lounge, not wishing to intrude further into the private hell the couple were going through. She glanced over at her soon to be former employer and friend. Leia sat, legs curled up and knees pulled into her chest, on a sofa underneath the room's large window. Her mind was elsewhere; she didn't seem to hear Greer's announcement. Her face held none of the warmth or vibrancy Greer was used to seeing; her skin pale and blotchy from hours of crying. Greer felt like an interloper simply by making a sound, wanting so much to leave these two people, whom she loved dearly, to their grief but the committee would not allow that to happen.

She turned her gaze enquiringly to Han, silently asking whether she should repeat her announcement. Hearing the devastating news, he had rushed home. He had been too long away from it all, pod-racing taking up most of his time these days, and too late it seemed. Their world had gone to hell. He had been pacing when she entered, his expression that of a man who had been awake for days, living and reliving a nightmare. He looked at her now.

“Tell them I'll bring her in a minute.” He gestured dismissively with his hand, the gesture absolving Greer of any further responsibility in the matter. His eyes held no animosity and his voice no impatience. He had known Greer a long time, considered her a friend and, besides, he didn't look like he had any energy left to fight. Greer glanced back at Leia briefly, concern for her burning a hole in her stomach. After all they had been through, she wouldn't wish this horror on either of them. But, she could do no more; only let them know they had her support, much good it would do them. Han's gentle treatment of her told her he, at least, knew that. She nodded and let the quiet hiss of the door hydraulics mark her exit.

“Leia. It's time to go.” Han informed his wife as he sat beside her, his gravelly voice cracking slightly. He waited, patiently searching her face for a response. She hadn't spoken in hours. Not since dawn had shown itself and her tears would no longer flow. She turned her head towards him, a vacant and haunted look taking a few seconds to fade, and swung her feet to the floor, pausing as if to allow an unseen fortifying energy to drain into her legs. He offered his hand to help her up. She took it.

“We'll get through this.” he said gently as he fastened her cloak round her shoulders, giving them a reassuring squeeze. It was an empty statement and he knew it. He couldn't, at this moment, imagine how they would get through this. It was one item too many in an already over burdened pack. Ben's act of betrayal was the biggest shock they, as parents, could have received. A betrayal that, knowing what they fought for, what his mother had spent a lifetime preventing from reoccurring, was the worst he could have committed. Added to this, the loss of her brother.

“He murdered them all.” Luke had said when he called to break the terrible news. “All the padawans - Like Anakin – I'm sorry.” He'd added his own grief stricken apology before, utterly guilt ridden, he'd disappeared, ignoring Leia's anguished screams for him to come home. They were crushed more by each piece of news and had been left empty and uncertain like floundering boats on a stormy sea.

If only he'd paid more attention to his son. The boy had got himself mixed up with a bad crowd and Leia had tried hard to prevent it, eventually sending him to Luke in the hope that discipline and training would centre him. Unable to share the things with his boy that he had wished he could as he got older, he occupied himself with the cargo business, with pod-racing, whatever took him away from politics and his mind off the boy's departure.

It affected Leia too, he knew. She missed her son terribly every day he was gone, was concerned for the boy's troubled mind and frightened for his newly found fixation on his grandfather now that he had discovered his legacy.

Leia reached a hand up and placed it over his on her shoulder, returning his squeeze; hard and desperate. She remained silent as they walked side by side through the halls to the meeting room on the upper level, ignoring the whispers and judging looks as they passed. Han didn't care what they thought. He wasn't beholden to anyone here; a free man who could leave whenever he chose. The subject of this oversight committee was his wife, called to answer for the actions of her son by the witch-hunters that were her opposition in the New Republic. The vultures had swooped, grasping their opportunity to question the sanity of allowing her a place in the government and, indeed, on the planet. Their behaviour was a disgrace and Han was angry. Their supporters were rallying round them; Ackbar, Mon Mothma, an assortment of Populist senators and as many friends who were influential enough to lend their voice.

Han watched Leia carefully as they walked, disturbed to his core by her silence and her eery compliance. He was used to her quiet reflectiveness when she was trying to work through a problem but this was something more – her unique personality somehow missing.

If he was honest with himself, he would have to admit he had been running away from everything. Although he always offered to return if she needed him, she had been adamant it wasn't necessary but, in hindsight, he should have realised she didn't mean it; should have seen she was trying to be kind and let him do his thing. She had badly needed him.

They stopped before the doors to the meeting room, a brief moment of silence before the doors opened to the deafening clamour for her head.

“Wait.” Han put an arresting hand in front of her. “Just wait.” He breathed heavily, staring at the door then at her. She looked straight ahead. “I am behind you two hundred percent, you know that but do you really need to do this? Whatever he's done, we should be dealing with this ourselves and frag anyone else. It's not too late to leave.” He wanted to grab his son by the collar and shake him hard until this insanity left him; wanted Leia to say _Sure, Honey. Let's go and sort him out together._ But that day had long gone; faded with the last forty-eight hours that had irrevocably changed her. The time for talking was done. She considered the floor momentarily then looked at him, her eyes delivering resolute confirmation that his wish was a pipe dream. Raising her chin to regain some small semblance of dignity, she moved within range of the door sensors and entered the fray.

#

Agitated conversation died to hushed whispers as Leia stood before the assembled committee, her eyes scanning the room, making note of her accusers and defenders. They settled on a spot on the very far side of the vast meeting table and the gathering parted as she made her way over to the elderly woman in the reclined hover-chair. She leaned forward and kissed the woman on the cheek affectionately.

“Mon, you should not have come.” she said quietly and tenderly to the octogenarian, her voice husky from lack of use and the strain of tears. She smiled weakly at her friend reclined in her medical chair, taking her frail hand in her own. Mon Mothma hadn't been seen for over a year, her illness slowly claiming her body until she was now reliant on the medical assistance of the chair and her accompanying nurse.

“Death will soon be upon me, Leia and if I can do one last good thing for the galaxy before my time is up, it must be this.” Mon Mothma gripped Leia's hand as best she could. It was still a firm grip. Leia smiled knowingly.

“I thank you for your efforts and your presence is a great comfort but I fear the outcome of this meeting has already been decided.” Han was in no doubt that Leia realised her metaphorical execution was assured. Mon Mothma looked sympathetically at both Leia and Han.

“I am so sorry for you both. Whatever happens here today, you can rest assured you will continue to be supported by more people than will show themselves today.” Leia bent to kiss her again and then turned to face the room as the rest of the gathered committee took their seats round the table.

The meeting began with an introduction as to the reason for it's calling; the ethical justification of Leia's continued position within the New Republic government after news that her son had massacred Jedi younglings in his final path to joining the First Order, an act that, put together with the revelation of the identity of her father a couple of years earlier, could not be ignored. The discussion ranged from whether Leia herself could be trusted since the history of genocide in her family was now so well documented, to how much she had been party to any of it. A member of a lesser royal house from Velusia spoke of her charitable good deeds, another of her deliberate secrecy over Darth Vader. Ackbar spoke of her heroism during the war and another Centrist senator suggested warmongering tendencies. It was a heated, ugly discussion and at points, Han had interjected an angry protest at the choice of words. He had no place to speak here other than a familial one but that had never stopped him before and certainly wouldn't stop him now. They were talking about his family and he would defend them by whatever means he could. Leia sat with her hands clasped in her lap, eyes closed against the backlash until the venomous point of view of the Bothan ambassador caused her to stand abruptly and walk to the window, facing away from judging eyes. Han could see her face twist in pain as the ambassador spoke.

“This woman is the embodiment of evil.” he spat viciously, pointing an accusing finger in Leia's direction. “She is the daughter of our most feared antagonist, Darth Vader; a depraved murderer and Palpatine's right hand man. For all we know, she was in league with Palpatine herself.”

“The sins of the father should not be visited on the child.” Mon Mothma spoke, their respect for the old chancellor guaranteeing her the floor. “Leia has never performed any such heinous deed; quite the opposite. Her heart and her cause are just. She has been Vader's biggest and most active opposer and without her great personal sacrifice, Palpatine would still be here to haunt us all.”

The ambassador's anger sprung him from his seat.

“We all know she was caught deliberately trying to cover up her relationship to Vader. For all we know, she has been cleverly positioning herself within the government, influencing it until she could take the Emperor's place. If her secret had remained hidden, she may have succeeded in becoming First Chancellor; a position Palpatine was in just before he took control of the Senate. She has spawned evil and, unable to succeed with her own plot has positioned her son to continue her cause.” Han looked quickly at Leia. She had her eyes shut again and tears had begun to flow once more, her hands gripped in front of her so tightly they were losing colour, much like her exhausted face. His every instinct was to comfort her but knew enough of her politics now to know she would look weaker and it would be detrimental to her case.

“Curb your poisonous tongue!” Ackbar blustered loudly. His stance and tendrils threatening in the extreme. “I stand by Princess Leia and would gladly lay down my own life for hers. We owe her a tremendous debt and your words are nothing short of treachery. Your accusations are a luxury you think you can afford yourself from the comfort of your pampered seat, a seat given to you by Leia herself and her bottomless self-sacrifice for stability in the galaxy.” A number of military leaders and senators loudly grumbled their agreement with the old admiral.

“Believe me when I tell you, she is a calculating manipulator; an agent of darkness. Exile is not enough for her. Rest assured she will return with her dark forces to finish us all off.” There was a shocked rumble through the room at his statement. Han stood up and slammed his fist on the table hard enough to rattle the jugs of water nearest to him.

“Is that a death threat, Pal? I hope I didn't hear you right. You are accusing my wife, who has done nothing while you threaten her life and think that's ok? She's given you everything and this is what you've reduced yourselves to? A bunch of scared, bottom feeding persecutors?”

Leia turned, holding up her hand to silence the room. The ambassador had frightened himself with his own speech and jumped at her movement.

“This has gone far enough.” she said quietly. The room fell silent and she allowed the silence to calm the committee members, her soft spoken-ness adding to the effect. “You are all correct that I kept my father's identity secret and I am not proud of it but I was ashamed of my legacy and, had I made the revelation sooner, we would have arrived at this same conclusion sooner and without reason. I have never given any of you cause to fear my motives or doubt my actions. I have been the victim of my father's atrocities along with millions of others and am deeply ashamed of them, so much so that I have dedicated my life to rectifying a crime I didn't commit. It has been my priority to restore peace and lawfulness so that families can once again feel safe but, in doing so, my own family has lost everything today.” Mon Mothma had passed her a slip of linen to wipe her eyes and she clutched it tightly in her hands as she supported herself on the edge of the table.

Han imagined this was what a breaking heart must feel like. The pain in his chest couldn't possibly get worse. It felt like he had swallowed a vibro-blade and it was working its way back out. He had lost his son and his wife had entered depths of despair where he couldn't follow. He looked at her closely as she spoke, the spark of her famous rhetoric extinguished to a mere whisper. With each blow over the last thirty years, he had watched her die a little bit more and now, just beginning her half century, her hair had prematurely greyed and the lines on her face suddenly matched his own more advanced years. Their love had changed a long time ago from the passion of youth to the all encompassing oneness of two matching souls and that would never change but, despite this, today she had the look of a woman who was totally alone. He felt a choking in the back of this throat.

“If my actions can't speak for themselves, I don't know what more I can say.” she continued, a deep sigh escaping as she leaned heavily on the table. “I have given you everything and now, I have nothing left.” She raised a hand to beckon Greer who jogged over to help her. With that, she left the meeting room.

The silence remained for several minutes. Han exchanged looks with Mon Mothma and the admiral, none knowing quite what to say to the other. He stood up finally and studied the faces of each and every accuser at the table.

“You have just destroyed the only woman in this galaxy who could save you. I hope you are all really proud of your achievement.” he stated venomously and followed Leia's exit.

#

Outside the door to their apartment, Greer was waiting for him. She held up a hand as he approached, preventing him from entering.

“The Princess won't see anyone.” It almost killed her to say it. Han's brow furrowed with worry.

“Not even me?” he enquired.

“She said, especially you, Han. I'm sorry.” He sighed and put his hands on his hips, looking at the floor and twisting his mouth. “She said where she was going, she couldn't ask you to follow.” He looked at Greer, narrowing his eyes in thought. He had seen the warning signs in the meeting room. In her strange way, she was trying to protect him from being dragged down by her lamentation. It wasn't necessary but he knew, once she'd decided, she wouldn't let him in.

“It's not your fault, Greer. None of this. Thanks for being there.” He walked away.

A day went by, then a week, two weeks and each time Greer's more and more sympathetic shake of her head met him as he checked on Leia. A pit of worry had taken up residence in his stomach. Ten times the problem perhaps required ten times the reflection but he had a nagging fear there was more to her isolation than that.

On the third week, Greer looked apologetic, not sympathetic and he knew instinctively what had happened. His expression pleaded with Greer that his suspicion was unfounded, but he got no reassurance.

“I'm so sorry, Han.” she said emphatically as he pushed the doors open to the apartment and found it empty. “She's gone.” Greer confirmed. He let out a pained breath and leaned forward, his hands on his knees.

“No.” he breathed. “What is she doing?” He knew the answer.

“She told me to tell you she must continue to fight even if no one else will and that it's her duty to stop the spread of this darkness. She's taken her squadrons and cruisers. She told me to tell you that she's doing what she does best and you know how to find her should you want to.” He felt pulled to find her but at the same time pushed away. He would be a harsh reminder of what she'd lost.

“She's joined the Resistance.”

“No, Han. She IS the Resistance; their founder and their benefactor for years now.” Greer put a gentle hand on his back, smiled thinly and left him to his thoughts.

Left alone, silence and emptiness finally giving him strange relief, he wept.

  
  
  


The End


End file.
